1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle navigation apparatus and a vehicle navigation method.
2. Description of Related Art
A navigation apparatus is disposed on a vehicle, and performs voice guidance when the vehicle comes closer to a guidance intersection to be guided. For example, the voice guidance represents distance information and a turning direction (e.g., left or right), so that the navigation apparatus provides the voice guidance such as “turn right 100 m ahead” or “turn right 20 m ahead”. However, it is difficult for a driver of the vehicle to precisely recognize a distance from the vehicle to the guidance intersection. If plural intersections successively exist in front of the vehicle, the vehicle may turn left or right at a wrong intersection, which is different from the guidance intersection. Further, if the driver of the vehicle keeps close watch on a display of the navigation apparatus, the driver may not pay sufficient attention to a situation in front of the vehicle.
JP-A-2005-241653 discloses a navigation apparatus having a camera, which takes an image (picture) adjacent to the vehicle when the vehicle turns left or right. The image is separated into plural objects by using image recognition, and the navigation apparatus performs guidance by using the objects.
In contrast, when a passenger of the vehicle performs guidance for the driver, the passenger may use a changing object as a target object. For example, the passenger says, “turn left at a next intersection from which a red car leaves” or “move to a traveling lane in which a white foregoing car is traveling on your left”.
However, because the navigation apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2005-241653 takes a stationary (nonmoving) image through the camera, the apparatus cannot detect the changing object. That is, the apparatus cannot perform guidance by using the changing object as the target object.